These funds will be used for competitive grants to local education agencies (LEAs) or consortia of LEAs where appropriate.

LEA is defined in the ESEA, Title IX, Part A, Sec. 9101(26) as follows:

1. The term 'local educational agency' means a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or for such combination of school districts or counties as are recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary or secondary schools.
2. The term includes any other public institution or agency having administrative control and direction of a public elementary or secondary school.
3. The term includes an elementary or secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs but only to the extent that such inclusion makes such school eligible for programs for which specific eligibility is not provided to such school in another provision of law and such school does not have a student population that is smaller than the student population of the local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act with the smallest student population, except that such school shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational agency other than the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

A consortium is group of eligible applicants that apply for a single grant. In the case of TAH, the eligible applicants are local educational agencies (LEAs). The members of the consortium must designate one LEA. This LEA will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant and will be responsible for ensuring that the project is carried out by the consortium in accordance with Federal requirements that apply to the grant.

In the formation of a consortium, the members of the group shall enter into an agreement that: (1) details the activities that each member of the group plans to perform; and (2) binds each member of the group to every statement and assurance made by the applicant in the application. See 34 CFR 75.127-129.The applicant shall submit the agreement with its TAH application. We do not prescribe a particular format for these agreements.

No, only one LEA should submit the grant application on behalf of its consortium partners. This LEA will be known as the “Lead LEA” and will take responsibility for the fiscal management of the project. The LEA should provide letters of support/memoranda of understanding from you’re the partnering LEAs in the appendix of the grant application.

Yes, current TAH grantees may apply for another grant. An LEA may only receive one grant per application cycle, but LEAs may reapply each year.

Yes, an LEA may participate in more than one project at a time. However, teachers should not be receiving duplicate services; the content or target audience of each project in which an LEA participates should be different.

Yes. A public charter school may apply for a grant if it is recognized by its state as an LEA. A public charter school should include in its application documentation from its public authorized chartering agency that verifies its status as an LEA in accordance with state charter laws and regulations, as well as the date it received its charter. In addition, it should include documentation of the school's non-profit status. If a public charter school is not recognized as an independent LEA by its state, it cannot apply directly for a grant, but it may be included in an application that its LEA submits for funding.

Yes.

Yes. An Intermediate Unit may apply for funding if it is an LEA and can also be considered an eligible partner for this grant. BOCES, ESC, CESAS, ESD, County Offices of Education, RESAS and the like are all considered intermediate education units.

Yes. School districts MUST partner with one or more institutions of higher education, non-profit history or humanities organizations, libraries or museums in order to be eligible to apply. This is a statutory requirement of the program.

No. Private schools may not receive a grant award under this program. However, private school teachers may participate in professional development activities funded by this program.